Narcisse Remond

This tall marble monument (usually half-hidden by one of the Cemetery's magnolia trees) marks the grave of the Narcisse Remond, proprietor of The Marble Pillar.  The Marble Pillar was located in the basement of a building by the same name which stood at the northwest corner of State Street and Broadway.  At various times, the stately building also housed a museum, telegraph office, and was a departure point for various stagecoaches and other forms of transportation.  A contemporary newspaper remarked that soup or steaks done in Remond's style was "a luxury."

Remond's burial records give very little biographical information except that he died on December 29, 1855 at the age of 43 years, 2 months, and 15 days.  The worn inscription on the gravestone itself notes that he was born in France and "came to this country in 1833 and took his abode in Albany."  The burial record of his wife, Mary Josephine Remond, indicates that she was born in Versailles.

The monument is not original to the lot.  Remond was originally interred in a vault as mentioned in several early books on the Cemetery and that fact is still reflected on his wife's burial card.  During the 1870s, the Cemetery's Superintendent Jeffrey P. Thomas, strongly encouraged the owners of vaults in poor condition or whose design was not considered in keeping with the natural style of a rural cemetery to have those structures removed and replaced with more suitable memorials.  The Remond vault was removed around this time. Mary Josephine Remond had passed away in 1872 at the age of 57.  At the time of her death, she was living in Brooklyn at 174 Monroe Street.

One interesting detail of the Remond gravestone is the elaborate Masonic symbol carved on the upper portion.  In addition to the compass and builders square found on many Masonic graves around the Rural, it also includes an arch with a prominent keystone and a worn relief of the Ark of The Covenant atop the steps on which the arch stands.  This elaborate symbol is associated with the Royal Arch Masons, part of the York Rite.

The Mourners

The broken tympanum of a headstone in the Church Grounds lot features an eroded, but lovely relief of a mourning woman beside an obelisk-style monument.  The headstone is dated 1810 and the lady's dress certainly reflects the fashion of the era.  She leans towards the grave of her loved one in a pose of grief while a stylized willow tree (a classic symbol of mourning) frames both her and the monument;  the tree's trunk is to the right of the obelisk and its branches arch gracefully over the obelisk to her.

Willow monuments are quite common, especially on late 18th and early 19th century headstones and there are several headstones which feature tiny carved monuments (usually obelisks, but occasionally a broken column), but there are only a few which feature these diminutive mourners in addition to the willow and monument.

A second example can be found in the Spencer-Townsend lot.  While this one is not broken, it is badly eroded.  The

The mourner's upper body is completely erased, as is the upper part of the monument.  There is no willow here, but a swag of cloth frames the figure from above.  Such draperies often represent veils or shrouds, also symbols of mortality and mourning.

These images are quite similar to popular mourning artwork from the same era.  Paintings, prints, and lockets were produced which typically features one or more female figures in mourning attire contemplating a gravestone.  Willows were often included and many had a church in the background.  Prints were often customized by adding the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death to the monument which usually figured prominently in the foreground.  The Albany Institute of History and Art has a number of objects of this type in their collections, some of which are attributed to Ezra Ames.

A few examples from the AIHA collection:

Mourning locket ca. 1794
Mourning locket ca. 1800
Mourning locket ca. 1800
Memorial oil painting by Ezra Ames

A Stone With Symbols

Located in the Stone family plot where South Ridge Road winds uphill from the main office, this headstone has sunk into the earth and may be truncated, but the upper portion is covered with symbols. 

At the center, there is a hand with heart on the palm which often represents charity.  Beneath the hand are three chain links.  Both are symbols often found of the graves of Odd Fellows, though the hand-and-heart is also associated with the Shakers.  There are two symbols commonly found on the graves of Masons - a carpenters square to the left of the hand and an all-seeing eye above it.  To the right of the hand is an image that resembles the divining rods used to douse for water.  This, too, is a symbol associated with the masons. 

The lot contains the graves of Julia Jay Stone (died December 11, 1848, age 1), Kyes Stone (died April 16, 1855, age 46), Alfred Stone (died September 24, 1859, age 50), Mary A. Jay Stone (died October 2, 1861, age 48), Nettie W. Stone (died March 14, 1877, age 22), Henry Alfred Stone (died October 12, 1877, age 1), Florence Stone (died March 20, 1885, age 13),  and Charles H. Stone (died December 4, 1894, age 41). 

Kyes Stone's name is carved on the tall marble monument at the center of the lot, along with the name of his wife, Mary A. Jay.  Nettie and Florence have small headstones to the right of that larger monument.  This stone with symbols is very likely the grave of Alfred Stone who, according to the 1850 census, was a printer.

The Chapel Butterfly

The Chapel at the Rural Cemetery stands just west of the main entrance and faces the foot of the Middle Ridge. The brick and stone structure was designed by Robert W. Gibson (the same architect responsible for Albany's Cathedral of All Saints and the Cemetery's Office) has been expanded with modern wings housing a crematorium and community mausoleum, but many of the original details are intact.

The exterior features a series of carved symbols of faith and hope, including crosses, anchors, stars, and this lovely butterfly which has just emerged from its cocoon (a popular symbol of rebirth and resurrection).

Below: A view of the Chapel about a century ago.

Weeping Willows

Above and below: Two ornate examples of the willow and urn motif from the Church Grounds section

As soul effigies passed out of fashion for gravestones, two motifs replaced the solemn winged faces - willow trees and urns. Often, these two were combined in carvings with an urn depicted beneath the branches of a willow. Sometimes, the urn was replaced with a tiny carved monument in the willow's shade. Willows might also appears in pairs on headstones, especially those of married couples.

A matching pair in the Church Grounds

This is one of a set of small gravestones in the Hitchcock family lot on the slope of the South Ridge overlooking the Cemetery's main gate and office. Each stone in this set has a slightly different variation on the willow and urn motif.

Numerous examples of these willows can be found at the Albany Rural Cemetery, both in the Church Grounds and in private family plots. They most commonly appear on headstones from the early 1800s with far fewer examples appearing post-Civil War.

With its low, drooping branches, the willow was a simple, elegant symbol of mourning.

Late example of a willow motif on the South Ridge

The Church Grounds Project

The Inverted Torch

Inverted torches can be found on many older monuments throughout the Albany Rural Cemetery. A sentimental and popular symbol of mortality, some are shown extinguished. Others, like this very fine example, are shown still aflame.